Matthew Jorgenson confirms himself among the best even after the seventh stage of Tour of the Dauphiné 2024. The runner of Visma | Lease a Bike he was in fact only beaten by Primoz Roglic (Bora-hansgrohe) in the uphill finish of Samoëns 1600, but rose to second place in the general classification right behind the Slovenian, continuing to show great growth this season, particularly uphill. Interviewed by our correspondents after the finish line, the 24-year-old American said he was surprised to have managed to rank so far at the Dauphiné given the many mountains, on which he tried to manage himself intelligently, but he ruled out being able to be captain at the Tour de Francewhere he hopes to be able to make himself available to his teammate Jonas Vingegaard.
Was Primoz too strong today?
Honestly, I didn’t think about the stage until the last kilometre, before I was concentrated on managing my energy. I always felt good throughout the day, but I still wanted to race conservatively because I don’t have much experience in these types of stages. Then I realized that it was possible, but beating Primoz was impossible. I’m not a sprinter and I don’t sprint, so I think I did my best today. I think that for now I can say that I have passed these tests.
The impression is that you are earning your stripes in the team in view of the Tour, how are you experiencing it?
I don’t think I’m the leader for the Tour. Jonas is on another level than me. He’s training well and everything is going well, I think. I am confident that he can be at the start and will be very strong.
Meanwhile, we saw you once again with the best after Nice and the classics…
I’m discovering my limits with each race, I hope to continue like this and also that the level can continue to grow.
You started out quietly, especially thinking about the big mountains, but you’re performing really well, how do you feel about it?
I admit I was a little surprised. I expected to struggle a lot because I have no experience in these races, even in consecutive mountain stages, so it’s all new to me. I’m discovering my limits and I want to continue like this.
You talk a lot about running conservatively these days.
I try to run smart. I know I’m tall and spend a lot of energy on these stages. So far, so good, I still had some energy towards the end. I always try to keep a regular cadence, I stay calm on my bike, trying to eat what I need, and I stay focused on these details that can prove important in the end.
Do you think Bora-hansgrohe wanted to win the stage from the start?
Surely. I think it was clear from the beginning. They monitored who was fleeing and kept a constant pace behind them to always stay within reach. They wanted to win the stage and they succeeded, so congratulations to them.
Are you thinking about whether you could have a similar role at the Tour?
For now, I’m living day by day. From what I know Jonas is recovering well and I am confident that he can be ready to start. I really hope so because I would like to race for him and not have pressure on myself. At the moment I’m focusing on the last day of the Dauphiné, then we’ll start thinking about the Tour.
